Charles la dow



(No Model.)

0. LA DOW.

SPRING TOOTH HARROW. No. 431,594. Patented July 8', 1890.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES LA DOW, OF ALBANY, NEW YORK.

SPRING-TOOTH HARROW.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 431,594, dated July 8, 1890.

V Application filed June 20, 1889.: Serial No. 314,917. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, CHARLES LA Dow, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city and county of Albany, in the State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Harrows, of which the following is a specification.

The objects of my invention are to secure a simple and strong frame and to mount teeth and clod-crushing devices thereon in such manner that all the parts may be held firmly in position, while capable of being removed or replaced by'detachable fastenings involving the use of a minimum number of clamping nuts or bolts. These ends I attain by constructing the frame of a series of diagonal beams, connected by a corresponding series of transverse truss-rods inclosed by spacingthimbles interposed between the beams, between the ends of which thimbles the teeth are clamped at their point of contact with the beams, while the clod-crushers are. mounted upon sleeves encircling their appropriate spacing-thimbles.

The subject-matter claimed is hereinafter specified.

The accompanying drawings represent so much of a harrow embodying all my improvements as is necessary to illustrate the subjectin atter claimed. Some of these improvements may be used without the others, and in machines differing in some respects in their details of construction from those herein shown. Unless otherwise designated the parts are of usual well-known construction.

Figure 1 is a plan,-and Fig. 2 a side elevation'. Fig. 3 is a perspective view, partly in section, from below, showing the mode of clamping the teeth in position. Fig. 4 is a transverse section through the clod-crushing device.

The frame-beams may be composed of wood or metal bars of various shapes; but I prefer to use fiat iron beams set up edgewise. The drawings show at the front and center of the machine a boat-shaped octagonal or poly onal structure X, composed of properly-shaped -fiat bars bolted together, the sides a being parallel and the ends I) I) pointed or converging. Projections a extend outwardly and forwardly from the front of the sides a on each side of the central line of the harrow, substantially parallel with the other corresponding frame-beams A A A The converging rear sides of the central frame or structure -X are also substantially parallel with the cortween the beams a' A, and between this latter frame-beam and the frame-beam A Another, but longer, truss-rod B extends from the rear part b of the central frame on eachside of the machine, substantially parallel with the front truss-rods above mentioned,

and passing through the frame-beams A A A and through corresponding spacing-thimbles C interposed between these beams. The inner forward frame-beams A intersect at their rear ends, which are firmly united central truss-rod, about parallel with the line of draft, and connected to its corresponding front truss-rod at or near its point of intersection with the frame-beam A The draft attachments may consist of central draft devices, rods, or links connected with both of the parallel sides a of the central frame X, and by other corresponding devices connected with the forward ends of the frame-beams A.

The harrow is shown as supported entirely upon spring-teeth D, of usual-well-known form and construction, curving over and around the thimbles and frame-beams and firmly clamped in position by being grasped edgewise between the ends of the thimbles C at the points where the truss-rods and framebeams intersect. The preferred form of clamping the teeth is that shown in Fig. 3, from which it will be seen that the ends a of the thimbles are enlarged and provided with overlapping flanges f, between which the teeth are inserted. able angle to hold the teeth in their proper The flanges are "arranged at a suitend and a clamping-nut upon the other, upon loosening which nut all the teeth clamped thereby may be adjusted, the nut tightened, and the teeth again clamped in their adjusted position.

Under myimproved organization-there being only six truss-rodssix nuts only are required to clamp or adjust all the teeth, and as the latter are clamped by the abutting ends of the thimbles, Iain enabled to dispense with saddles, clips, and bolt-heads at these points.

So far as I am aware,Iam the first to make a spring-tooth harrow of the character illus- I device upon one end of the rod, and imperforate spring-teeth gripped by their edgesbetween the ends of the thimbles, whereby a number of teeth may be clamped or loosened by manipulating the clamping device upon the end of a single rod.

4. The combination of frame-beams on each side of the central draft-line extending forwardly and outwardly in parallel or substantially parallel lines, truss-rods passing through the beams and extending outwardly and rearwardly on each side of the machine atsubstantially right angles to the framebeams, thimbles on the rods interposed between the beams, and spring-teeth clamped between the thimbles.

5. The combination of the central structure X, having the sides or portions (1 b, the frame-beams A A, bolted together at their convergent ends, the truss-rods B, and the spring-teeth.

6. The combination, with a gang of imperforate spring-teeth, of securing or clamping devices for simultaneously gripping by their edges or releasing all the teeth of the gang.

7. The combination of the frame-beams, the front truss-rods, the spacing-thimble encircling the rods between the beams, the sleeves turning loosely on the spacing-thimbles, and the radial clod-crushing teeth carried by the sleeves.

8. The combination of the frame-beams,

their intersecting front truss-rods, the spac' ing-thimbles thereon between the beams, the loose sleeves 011 the thimbles, the radial clodcrushing teeth on the sleeves, and the wheels on the sleeves by which the teeth are rotated.

9. The combination of the diagonal framebeams, their intersecting truss-rods, spacingthimbles encircling the rods between the beams, spring-teeth clamped by their edges between the thimbles, sleeves turning loosely on the front spacing-thimbles, and clod-crush- ,ing devices mounted on said sleeves.

10. The spring-tooth harrow hereinbefore described, consisting, essentially, of the combination of frame-beams arranged obliquely to the line of draft on opposite sides of the central longitudinal axis, truss-rods intersect-- :ing them substantially at right angles, spac ing-thimbles enveloping the rods between the CHARLES LA Dow.

WVitnesses:

EDWARD C. DnvIDsoN, M. J. KELLEY. 

